HOW SOUTHCARE IS MANAGING CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

Southcare is managing the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation as a priority. We have been swift and vigilant in our actions to mitigate your risk and maximise your safety.

We recognise this may be an unsettling time for some, but rest assured we are continually monitoring the evolving situation and have zero incidences of any suspected cases.

We continue to take advice from the Department of Health at a Federal and State Level as well as the World Health Organisation, and have put additional measures in place as follows:

• regularly washing hands with soap and water as well as extra hygiene including using gloves, masks and self-supplied paper towels to dry hands when providing personal care as well as reducing social contact (i.e. handshake or embrace) when visiting immediately reporting any concerns for customers health, and prioritising those who show signs of cold or flu-like symptoms immediately notifying employees to monitor their personal health, undertake medical assessments and self-quarantine as required
• daily meetings amongst our Response Team in line with our Coronavirus Response Plan.
• launching a communications plan with regular updates and signage placed in high traffic areas so that awareness and consideration of all Southcarers (and visitors to our offices) remains a priority
• surveying all staff, volunteers, contractors and customers regarding travel history and upcoming plans to ascertain any level of risk
• reducing the hours of the Op Shop to Tuesdays and Thursdays
• cancelling all events at Southcare Central, including the hire of the area by external parties
• undertaking appropriate social distancing within the office and when visiting customers at home, as well as reducing movement between buildings and office floors
• prioritising emails and phonecalls over face-to-face meetings, with both internal and external teams
• cleaning with disinfectant every hour – including office areas (phones, keyboards, workstations, door handles, light switches and any common area) as well as company vehicles and support worker personal vehicles and communal kitchen areas
• removing tea towels from the Southcare Central kitchen and employee kitchens in favour of single use paper towels
• setting limits on the number of people to be in a meeting room at any one time, cleaning rooms after all meetings and enforcing appropriate social distancing during all meetings (i.e. keeping an empty chair in between others when sat around the table, and moving back away from the table)
• successfully trialling work-from-home arrangements and putting plans in place to source appropriate IT devices for those that need access or equipment, and adopting rotating working from home with key teams
• offering our volunteers the option to defer their service with us (heartwarmingly, the majority have said they will continue) and communicating with them about their obligations moving forward
• encouraging the use of contactless or online payment options for our customers and wearing gloves when handling cash
• working with Amcal Community Pharmacy who have offered changes to our delivery services to meet the changing clinical needs of our patients. Customers can now email amcalcomo@westnet.com.au or fax 9367 9782 a copy of their required prescription/s and order other items stocked by the pharmacy for then to deliver.

Read more about what we are doing in our Southcare Snippet and what we are doing at our Op Shop.

We highly recommend that you follow the daily updates on the Australian Government Department of Health website, www.health.gov.au or call the Coronavirus hotline on 1800 020 080.